Fire-extinguishing.



M. N. CONNOR.

FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.30,1915.

1,287,238. Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

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M. N. CONNOR.

FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

APPLICAHON FILED JAN. 30 191v Patvntwl ih-u in MS.

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M. N. CONNOR.

FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 30.19Ih.

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FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED )AN.3U,1915.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

M AURICE N. CONNOR, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO FRANK W. CARTER, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

Specification of iletters Patent.

Application filed January 30, 1915. Serial No. 5,172.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAURICE N. CONNOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishmg Apparatus, of which the following is a spec1- fication.

This invention relates to fire extinguishing apparatus generally and particularly to motor driven apparatus.

More specifically the invention relates to a fire extinguishing apparatus comprising a vehicle frame, supporting and driving wheels, a motor preferably of the internal combustion type for operating the driving Wheels, a tank for containing water or other fire extinguishing liquid, fire extinguishing gas containers, suitable connections between the containers and the tank, a water pump, means for connecting said pump with the motor, means connecting a revolving part with an agitator arranged in the tank, and other suitable devices utilized in mechanism of this character.

The invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth in the following description, drawings and claims.-

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the opposite side of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is an enlarged View of the tank head with the gas and liquid controlling means and the pump; Fig. 1 is a detail sectional view of the head of the bypass valve; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the tank;

.Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view showing the drive for the agitator; Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the clutch mechanism for the drive of the agitator; and Fig. 8 is a view looking at one side of the tank toward the agitator drive end of the pump.

In carrying out the invention any preferred form of vehicle may be utilized, so

long as it possesses the necessary character- 2 and the rear or driving wheels 3. The frame is also provided with a suitable radiator 4: and a hood 5 within which is a motor of any preferred type adapted to drive the propeller shaft 6 which is connected in the usual manner to the driving wheels.

The shaft 6 is preferably squared at 7 Where it receives a pump driving gear 8 provided with a collar portion 9 having an annular groove 10. The forked end of a shifting lever 11 engages in this groove and this lever is mounted upon a shaft 12 adapted to be shifted by a lever 13 arranged upon the side of the car in easy reach of the operator. This gear 8 meshes with a ump driving gear 14 mounted upon a sha t 15 of the pump 16 which is preferably of the gear type. The other shaft 17 of this pump extends beyond the pump casing and cylindrical extension 18 formed integral with the casing. This sleeve is internally threaded for a part of its length and receives a gland nut 19 bearing against a suitable packing 20. Within this nut upon the shaft is a ball bearing structure, and beyond this ball bearing structure is a clutch member 21 threaded on the shaft and forming a lock nut for the inner race of the ball bearing. This clutch member is provided with an internal conical clutch face 22 adapted to be engaged by a conical clutch member 23 loosely mounted upon the projected end of the shaft 17. This conical clutch member 23 is provided with a groove 24 and sprocket teeth 25, and further at its end with a threaded hub 26 adapted to receive a cap 27 extending over the end of the shaft. The end of the shaft beyond the hub 26 is provided with a coiled spring 28 adapted to engage between a washer 29, secured to the end of the shaft by means of a nut 30, and the hub 26, so as to cause the clutch member 23 to be thrown into engagement with the clutch member 21. The clutch member is adapted to be shifted by a yoke 31 provided with an internally threaded sleeve 32 engaging the threaded shank 33 of a hand wheel 34 loosely mounted upon a stud 35 secured to the casing of the pump. By this arrangement it will be seen that by Patented Dec. 10, 191a.

operating the hand wheel, the clutch member 23 may be Withdrawn from engagement with the clutch member 21 or allowed to be actuated by a spring to provide the clutching operation between the clutch member 21 and the sprocket formed by the teeth 25. The oiiice of the sprocket will be described later.

Secured to the frame and preferably under the seat are tank supporting members 36, one on each side of the frame and adapted to receive a tank 37 for water or any other fire extinguishing liquid. This tank rests horizontally and has at its rear end a. combined stufiing box and bearing 38 adapted to receive a shaft 39 extending into the tank for a greater part of the length thereof. Within the tank this stufiing box and bearing 38 is provided with a seat 38' surrounding the opening therethrough and the shaft 39 is provided with an enlarged portion 39 adapted to engage said seat. The inner end of this shaft is mounted in a bearing 40 arranged in the upper end of a support 41. This shaft at its extreme inner end is provided throughout its lengthwith suitable paddles or agitators 42. The shaft 39 beyond the rear end of the tank is provided with a spiral gear 43 and between this gear and the stufiing box and bearing the shaft is threaded and receives a hand nut 43 which may be utilized by its engagement with the stuffing box and bearing member to move the shaft 39 outward longitudinally and cause the enlarged portion 39 to engage the seat 38'. The spiral gear 43 meshes with a spiral gear 44 secured to a shaft 45 mounted in bearings 46 secured to the side edges of the support 36 near the rear end of the tank. The shaft 45 is provided with a suitable sprocket wheel 47 adapted to receive a chain 48 which in turn engages the sprocket teeth 25. In this way, the agitator is driven from the pump. The supports 36 are provided with suitable openings for receiving a pair of gas containers 49 and each of these tanks is provided with a suitable valve mechanism 50 connected by a tube 51 with a heater 52 arranged upon the exhaust pipe 53 of the motor. A suitable return pipe 54 is provided and leads from the heater to the valve controlling mechanism, which will now be described. p

The front end of the tank is provided with an externally threaded flange 55 adapted to receive the threaded flange 56 of a distributing head 57 which is provided with a centrally disposed chamber 58 opening by means of a port- 59 into the tank and by a lateral port 60 into a main water inlet chamber 61 in the head 57. A valve 62 is supported centrally in the head and is adapted to seat in the opening 59 and control communication with the tank at this point. The

memes head 57 is also provided with a tank gas discharge chamber 63 connectedto apipe 64 leading into and near the top of the tank and with gas dischar e pipes 65 extending radially from the hea Toward the bottom the head 57 is also provided. with a gas supply chamber 66 connected to a short pipe 67 I leading directly into the tank and adapted to supply gas to the liquid therein below the surface. thereof. This chamber communicates with a gas supply pipe 68 extending from the head in a radial direction. Opposed to this chamber 66 is a mixture dis charge chamber 69 connected to a pipe 70 extending into the tank and near the bottom thereof. This chamber also communicates with a discharge and Water inlet valve 70' which forms a part of a valve casing 72. This valve casing is in the form of a through connection with a valve seat 73 about the opening leading to the connection 71 and the arrangement is such that the valve may be operated either to close or open this connection, and at the same time it permits pipe 74.

In communication with the chamber 61 of the head is a main water supply pipe 75 forming a part of a through connection 76 in turn connected to a pipe 77 leading to a discharge 78 leading from the pump 16. This discharge 78 is provided with a con.- nection 79 for a fire hose. This connection, however, is normally closed by a suitable plug 80. The arrangement of these parts is such that when the pump is in operation water is forced under great pressure through the pipe 77 and the connection 76 into the chamber 61 from whence it may go, if the valve 62 is open, directly into the tank. The through connection 76 is provided with an upwardly extending side connection 81 connected to a T valve 82 connected on the purposes. This T valve 82 when closed prevents the flow of water to the pipe 74, and

when open, permits such flow. The through connection 76 is also provided with a downwardly extending solid or blind connection 85 which supports a reducing valve structure 86 of any well known type but connected to the pipe 54 of the left-hand gas container 49. This reducing valve structure 86 is connected by a valve structure 87 with a gas T valve 88 which is arranged upon the pipe 68. The connection opposite to the valve 87 is connected to a valve 89 leading to the other reducing valve structure 86 of the other gas container 49 which reducing valve is in turn supported upon a solid nipple 90 secured in the lower end of a gas discharge menses valve 91 which is connected to the pipe 65. This gas discharge valve 91 is connected by a ni pie 92 to a main discharge valve 93 whic in turn is connected. to the line pipe 74 and to the main apparatus discharge pipe 94. Each reducing valve structure is provided with a suitable T connection 95 having a gage 96 at the upper end and a blow-ofi cock 97 at the lower end. A safety valve 98 is also arran ed in conjunction with each one of these d evices and is connected in the line back of the gage in any preferred manner. The front end of the tank is provided with a boss 99 adapted to receive a gage connection 100 provided with a gage 101 which indicates the pressure in the tank. Back of this gage connection and in the pipe connection 100 is a suitable blow-0E valve 102 to indicate when the tank is full and a suitable safety valve 103.

In using the apparatus a supply hose is connected to the pump inlet 104 and water is supplied to the pump. At the same time the motor in the vehicle is permitted to run.

'The operator then shifts the gear 8 into mesh with the gear 14. and the pump on the vehicle is started in motion. This causes water to be supplied through the pipe 77 directly into the chamber 61 from whence it passes into the tank. At the same time gas is supplied from either of the gas containers through the reducing valve mechanism in conjunction with it and the pipe 68, from whence it flows through the pipe 67 directly into the liquid which in the meantime is agitated by the agitator operated from the pump. The discharge of the carbonated water then takes place through the pipe 70 under the valve 72 into the line 74, the valve 82 being closed. The carbonated fluid then passes through the valve 93 into the dis charge line 94, the valve 91 being closed. This operation continues until the supply of gas is exhausted. If, for any. reason, it should be desirable to close the tank, the

valves 62 and 72 are seated and the valve 82 is open, with the result that Water flows up through the pipe connection 81 through the valve 82, through the pipe 74 into the line 94. At the same time if thetahk should be empty, a portion of the Water may be diverted from the line 74 into the tank by unseating the valve 72. If it should be desirable at any time to use tank gas on the fire,

this may be accomplished by closing thehicle chassis including a motor, a pump adapted to be driven thereby, a tank, a source of soluble fire extinguishing gas, and a localized controlling mechanism therefor including piping and valves within easy reach of the operator when in one position and comprising a chambered head for said tank, a discharge pipe, a pipe'leading from the pump to the head, a by-pass pipe leading around the head and connected to the said pump pipe and the discharge, a shut-off valve 1n said by-pass pipe intermediate the pump pipe and the discharge, a valve controlled connection intermediate said shut-off valve and the discharge and in communication with said head, and means for supplying and controllin the. su l of as from the source to the ank. pp y g In fire extinguishing apparatus, a vehicle chasis including a motor, a pump adapted to be driven thereby, a tank, a source of soluble fire extinguishing gas, and a localized controlling mechanism therefor including piping and valves Within easy reach of the operator when in one position and comprising a head for the tank, said head having a supply chamber in communication with the tank, a gas chamber leading into the tank, a gas discharge chamber having communication with a conduit leading to the gas space in the tank and a liquid discharge chamber having communication with a conduit leading to the bottom of the tank, a discharge pipe, a pipe leading from the pump to the supply chamber, a by-pass pipe leading around the head and connected to the said pump pipe and the discharge, a shut-off valve in said by-pass pipe intermediate the pump pipe and the discharge, a valve controlled connection said shut-ofl valve and the discharge and in communication with .the liquid discharge chamber. in said head, and means for supplying and controlling the supply' of gas from the source to the tank.

3. In fire extinguishing apparatus, a vehicle chassis including a motor, a pump adapted to be driven thereby, a tank, a source of soluble fire extinguishing gas, and a localized controlling mechanism therefor including piping and valves within easy reach of the operator when in one position and comprising a head for the tank, said head having a supply chamber in communication with the tank, a gas chamber leading into the tank, a gas discharge chamber having communication with a conduit leading to the gas space in the tank and a liquid discharge chamber having communication with a conduit leading to the bottom of the tank, a discharge pipe, a pipe leading from .41 pump to the supply chamber, a by-pass pipe leading around the head and connected to the said pump pipe and the discharge,

intermediate .4 memae shut-off valve in said by-pass pipe intermereducing valves for controlling a supply of cliate the pump pipe and the discharge, a gas to t valve controlled connect-ion intermediate In testimony whereof I aflix my signature said shut-off valve and the discharge and in in presence of two Witnesses as follows.

communication with the liquid discharge MAURICE N. CONNOR. chamber in said head, means for supplying Witnesses: and controlling the supply of gas from the ALTON H. BEMIs,

source to the tank, and suitable valves and C. H. SHOTZBARGER.

e tank. 10 

